Sober
by WildestDreams72394
Summary: She was a Muggleborn Hufflepuff who showed up on his doorstep in trouble. He helped her get away from the shovel, but now he and his friends are finding themselves trying to pull her out of the hole she's found herself in. Can Remus save her? Can he keep Sirius from taking advantage of her situation? Will he ever be anything more than a friend to her?
1. Chapter 1

**August 1977**

Chloe curled up in the corner of her bedroom, hands over her ears, trying to block out the yelling coming from the other side of her bedroom door as she hid on the far side of her twin sized bed. Her parents were screaming at each other in the hallway just outside her room. "This clearly isn't working, Russell. If it was, we would have seen results a long time ago," her mother shouted. "I've been telling you from the start that we have to stop letting her go to that horrible place every year. Put her back in a normal school with normal people and maybe all this nonsense will finally go away."

There was a pause in the screaming match. Chloe knew that meant that her father was most likely nodding his head, agreeing with her mother. "All right, Wendy," Chloe heard her father say. "You're right; it's time we took her away from those freak friends and that freak world she lives in. But just the same," he said angrily. "I'm going to keep trying to beat this 'magical' demonical crap out of her. Maybe that'll help her become a normal person again faster."

When Wendy remained silent, Chloe knew she was about to be in deep trouble. She grabbed her wand off the nightstand and hid it in the pocket of her jeans as well as she could manage as she heard her father try the locked door handle, then start pounding furiously on the door. Chloe ran to the window, opening it. She'd just started to climb out of the window when the door frame gave way. Russell tore into the room, grabbing a fistful of Chloe's blonde hair and pulling her back into the small bedroom, throwing her down on the floor. "Dad, please," Chloe cried. "I haven't done anything."

Russell kicked his daughter in her ribcage. "Maybe not recently, because your mother and I don't allow you to get away with anything. But heaven only knows what all disgusting, vile, evil activities you've been a part of since we foolishly allowed you to go off to that freaky school of yours," he growled viciously.

Chloe stared up at her father from where she lay in the floor, trying her hardest not to glare at the man, knowing that even looking at him the wrong way right now would only heighten his rage. "Hogwarts is not a bad place, and I haven't done anything wrong there," she insisted.

Russell grabbed her shirt by the shoulder and pulled her to her feet, then slapped her hard across the face, causing tears to well up in the sixteen-year-old's eyes. Chloe heard Wendy go in the master bedroom and shut the door behind her. Russell shook Chloe roughly. "I don't care that you think all this magic nonsense is ok. It's of the devil, and it's deadly. A few hundred years ago, you would have been burned at the stake to free you from the demons possessing you that give you these so-called 'magical powers.' Don't think I haven't considered that option, either." Fear shone brightly in Chloe's eyes as Russell's face lit up, as though he were getting an idea. "Where is that bloody stick of yours, you stupid witch?"

Chloe's eyes grew wide as she struggled to free herself from her father's grip. "No, no, no! Dad, please! Don't take my wand," she begged.

"I'm not just going to take it away from you, stupid girl," Russell declared. "I'm going to burn it. Keep you from using that awful magic of yours once and for all." Russell released his daughter's shoulders and pushed her away from him as he shouted, "Where is the damn wand?"

Chloe stumbled a few steps backwards as he let her go, then turned and ran from the room as fast as she could. She flew across the living room and flung herself out the front door, hearing her father chasing after her and screaming obscenities at her as she went. Running through the neighborhood, Russell never more than a few feet behind her, Chloe ran up the steps of the fifth house down from hers and started banging on the front door. That was when Russell caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off her feet as kicked and screamed, trying to get away. A tall, middle-aged man with brown hair and even darker brown eyes answered the door, looking confused. Seeing the man, Chloe rushed her words, calling out over her father's angry words as he pulled her off the porch and into the street, "Mr. Lupin! Mr. Lupin, please! I'm Remus's friend; please, help me!"

A much younger, though every bit as tall as Mr. Lupin, man appeared in the doorway behind Mr. Lupin. Chloe heard him say, "Dad, she goes to Hogwarts with me. Help her, please."

Lyall Lupin pulled out his wand and pointed it at Russell. "Sir, release that young girl."

Russell let go of Chloe, who immediately bolted back up onto the porch. Remus stepped from behind his father onto the porch and hugged Chloe to his chest. "That's my daughter," Russell spat venomously. "I don't know how she managed to get more of you wand-wielding demons like you to live in a nice, normal village like this, but you still can't take my little girl away from me. I'll never let her go."

Russell's voice increased in volume as he spoke. Remus could feel Chloe trembling in his arms; she flinched hard every time her father's voice grew louder. Remus squeezed her as Lyall said calmly, "I suggest you go home. Give it a couple of days; let both of you cool off. Don't make me turn you into a mouse."

Russell glared at the three on the porch, then spat on the ground. "Chloe, never come back to my house. Until you're ready to admit you're wrong and give up all this evil magic crap, don't you ever come back to my house."

Without waiting for a reply, Russell stormed back down the road towards his house. Chloe released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Remus gently rubbed her upper arm, attempting a comforting gesture. Lyall made a waving motion with his hand. "Inside, you two, before we attract any more attention from the Muggle neighbors."

Remus nodded. Chloe allowed Remus to usher her into the house, with Lyall following and closing the door behind them. A middle aged woman with gray speckling her light brown hair, concern in her green eyes, asked, "Is everybody all right?" she asked. "Is anyone hurt?"

"We're fine, Hope," Lyall said soothingly to his wife, wrapping an arm around her. "But it appears that we'll be having a guest until it's time to return to Hogwarts in a couple of weeks."

Chloe stepped out of Remus's embrace, frowning when she saw spots of blood on his light blue t-shirt. She touched her face gingerly, only then discovering that her father's slap had busted her lip, making it bruise and bleed. Remus noticed Chloe's bleeding lip, going and getting a washrag from the linen closet. He took the piece of cloth to the kitchen sink and began to soak the material in warm water. As he did so, Hope said, "Oh, doesn't that sound nice? What's your name, dear?"

Chloe's eyes never left Remus's back as he stood over as she answered, "Chloe Honeycutt."

Switching off the water, Remus walked over to Chloe with the wet washrag. He moved her over to sit in a chair at the dining room table, then began gently dabbing at the cut on Chloe's lip. Remus said to his parents, "Chloe is a friend of mine from Hogwarts. Well, actually we mostly just study together. She's a Hufflepuff, so most of the time our paths only cross in the classroom and the library. We're usually partners in Potions and Herbology classes. I sent her an owl when we moved here, just in case she ever wanted to hang out, but I never heard back from her." Pausing his treatment of her wound, Remus turned his attention back to Chloe. Looking deep into her eyes, Remus continued, "I thought you just weren't interested in seeing me during the summer or something when I never got a reply. I never even saw the owl again."

Chloe looked down at her hands in her lap, unable to keep eye contact with Remus as salty tears burned her eyes. "You never will," she said softly. "My father caught me with the owl in my room this summer after I'd already read your letter. He shot the owl with his gun and burned your letter, thinking I hadn't read it yet." Chloe shook her head. "I'm really sorry about your owl…"

Remus patted her knee. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault. We've bought another owl already anyway."

Chloe nodded, but the sadness still lingered in her eyes. She still wouldn't meet anyone's gaze. Hope suggested, "Remus, why don't you show Chloe up to your room? You can sleep down here on the couch till September 1 rolls around."

Chloe's head snapped up to look Remus in the face. "Oh, no, please. I can sleep on the couch; I hate to make Remus give up his room."

Remus shook his head. "Don't be silly," he said. "I'm more than happy to; don't worry about it." Chloe looked uncertain for another moment, before she finally resigned herself and nodded. Remus took her by the hand and led her up the stairs to his bedroom. Shutting the door to the room behind them as Chloe stepped tentatively into the room, Remus said, "So, this is it. Please, make yourself at home."

Chloe hesitated, then went and sat down on the edge of the bed. Remus stood leaning against the door, watching her closely. Chloe played with the bottom edge of her green shirt nervously. She said quietly, "Thank you, Remus. I'm so sorry to just burst in like this."

Remus replied easily, "It's ok, Chloe. I really don't mind. It was pretty clear that you were in danger out there tonight. The last thing any of us would want is for you to get hurt." Chloe nodded slightly, but Remus frowned. "Why were you in danger, anyway? I mean, from what I could tell out on the porch tonight, you were having some sort of fight with your dad?"

Chloe said slowly, as though saying it caused her pain, "Yes. My parents are extremely religious people. I suppose my first year at Hogwarts they didn't realize that it was a school for witches and wizards, or they'd have never let me go in the first place. Anyway, they consider magic something dangerous, a sin or whatever. So ever since they realized I wasn't a Muggle like them, they've hated me. Tonight I guess was the last straw. My dad was going to burn my wand and force me to go to school with the Muggles. He even mentioned burning me, like at one of those witch trials in the middle ages. I'm not seventeen until September 1, and even then it's not legal to use magic in front of Muggles, so I couldn't defend myself."

Remus furrowed his brow. "It's legal to use magic in front of Muggles in life-threatening situations, Chloe. If you were in serious danger, you could defend yourself, of age or not." Chloe shrugged, and Remus moved to sit down beside her. "You know, you're safe here. Dad and I won't let your parents get to you. No one's going to be taking your wand, and you'll get to go back to Hogwarts in September."

Chloe glanced over at Remus anxiously. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

Remus threw a protective arm around her shoulders. "Yes, I'm sure." Chloe seem to waver in a decision, then rested her head on his shoulder. Remus squeezed Chloe's shoulder and smiled at her. "It'll be ok. I promise. Ok?"

Chloe answered softly, "Ok."

* * *

Later that night, Chloe was tiptoeing down the stairs to talk to Remus. Despite the fact that it was one in the morning, Chloe couldn't sleep. She paused on the staircase, though, when she heard voices floating from the living room. "Does she know about you though, Remus? Sure, she's safe from her parents here, but it's hard enough to keep us safe when you…" Lyall trailed off.

"No, dad, she doesn't know. She doesn't need to know. We can send her to stay with James or Peter or someone when that happens," Chloe heard Remus saying.

"Remus, dear, I'm not sure that's a wise decision," Hope said softly. "If she's had all the same classes at Hogwarts as you, then she's sure to get suspicious if you send her away for the night on the night of the full moon." Chloe frowned at the comment about the full moon. "Remus, I don't know what your relationship to this girl has been like in the past at school, but clearly this girl likes you a lot and has a lot of faith and trust in you. I think you should tell her the truth; she'll only trust you more if you do."

"Mum," Remus argued. "I've tried to tell girls I've dated in the past and ended up having to Obliviate them because they react so horribly to it, then break up with them. I'm not even dating Chloe. She's been through so much with her family already. I don't want to burden her even more when she doesn't have to be."

Lyall said, "Remus, you're mother's right. I know I'm normally all for keeping this a secret from anyone and everyone, but things have worked out wonderfully when James, Sirius, and Peter found out about you. I think in this one case, it might be a good idea for you to tell Chloe. She seems to think the world of you, and your mother's right, if she came looking to you for help like this then she trusts you more than anyone else in the world. You should trust her in turn."

Unwilling to eavesdrop anymore, Chloe quickly and quietly ran back up the stair's to Remus's room, shutting the door silently behind her. She started digging through his dresser, looking for something she could use as pajamas since she had left all of her clothes behind at her parents house. Deciding on a gray t-shirt, she stripped off her own shirt and threw Remus's shirt on over her pale pink bra. She pulled off her jeans and was digging through his drawers more for something she could wear as pants when Remus slipped in the room, the sound of the door shutting behind him nearly making her jump out of her skin. Chloe spun around, then remembered her state of undress, and although his t-shirt covered her bum, she still pulled the edge of the shirt down more, trying to cover more of her bare legs. Blushing, she said, "Ummm, I'm sorry, Remus. I was looking for something to sleep in since all of my clothes are still at my parents' house. I mean, um, I can't summon them over here since I'm not seventeen yet, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind…"

Remus smiled, shaking his head at how flustered Chloe was. "It's all right," Remus said as he laughed softly. He walked over to her, leaving only a few inches between them. Chloe's breath hitched at the sudden closeness. He smirked slightly, almost as though he could hear her heart as it began to race, and bent down and opened the bottom drawer of the dresser, pulling a pair of boxers out of the drawer. "I'll just cast a little Shrinking Charm on these," he said as he stood up, handing them to her. He waved his wand over the shorts, shrinking them down to what looked to be more her size. "There," he said softly. "Now they should fit fine."

Chloe clutched the green shorts tightly in her hands, her embarrassment still causing her to blush bright red. "Thanks," she whispered.

Remus chuckled. "You're welcome," he replied. Chloe looked away from his eyes, unwilling to meet his gaze when his close proximity was still making her heart race — from fear or excitement, she wasn't sure. "So umm, I heard you on the stairs earlier."

Chloe glanced up at him suddenly, her green eyes meeting his. "How did you —"

Remus smirked. "I have a lot better hearing than my parents." He suddenly looked very solemn. "So I guess that means you overheard our conversation?" Chloe nodded slowly, taking the only step backwards that there was room for before bumping into the dresser. Remus frowned when he noticed her pull away. "You're afraid of me now," he mused.

Chloe said softly, "More nervous than afraid."

Remus sighed. "You don't need to be afraid of me or nervous around me. I swear, I'm not dangerous. I'm not a Death Eater or anything even remotely like that." Chloe simply nodded, staring down at the pair of boxers in her hand, while pulling at the bottom of the shirt she was wearing with the other hand. Remus sighed, seeming to sense her nervousness. "I promise, I'm still the same guy I've always been, that you've always known." Chloe nodded again, and she saw Remus getting frustrated. "Please, just believe me. I'm still your friend, the guy who saved you from those Slytherin bullies in first year, remember that?"

Chloe replied, "Of course I remember that. I'm not afraid of you, Remus. I'm just nervous. My nerves are frayed from everything else that's happened today, and then I overhear you having a conversation about some dangerous secret you're keeping from me. I'm sorry if not knowing what kind of secret you're hiding from me makes me nervous, but it does."

Remus ran a hand through his hair, then placed his hands on the dresser on either side of Chloe. "Ok, ok," he said, then he took a deep breath. Chloe watched his scarred face as he seemed to push through some painful emotions. "Chloe, you can never tell anyone about this. Even if you hate me for the rest of your life after this and never speak to me again, you can't tell anyone." Chloe nodded. Remus sighed, then, without meeting her eyes, said, "I'm a werewolf, Chloe. That's why I could hear you on the stairs when my parents couldn't. That's why just a few minutes ago, I could hear your heart racing when I got so close to you. That's why I miss classes so often. I'm a werewolf. I swear though, I'm really not dangerous. I'm the same person as always. I'm only dangerous during the full moon, that one night out of the month that I turn, but I promise, we'll keep you safe from me then when I turn in a few days. You can go stay with James or Sirius or Peter; they're the only three people, other than my parents and Dumbledore, who know what I am. I promise, I'll never hurt you."

Chloe thought for a moment, watching the agony in his face as he told her all of this. When he finished, she threw her arms around his neck. "Ok," she said softly. "So you're a werewolf. You're right, that doesn't change who you are."

Remus pulled out of her embrace and stared at her in surprise. "You mean it?" he asked.

"Of course," Chloe insisted. "Look, you just found out something incredibly hard for me to share with anyone about my life. It's honestly why I don't have any really close friends at school; I'm too afraid. You just shared the biggest secret of your life with me. I think that makes us pretty even. I trusted you with something huge, and you've trusted me. You're right; you being a werewolf won't put me in any real danger. It'll be fine. Besides," she added with a bitter laugh. "It's still safer for me to live with a werewolf than it is for me to go home to my parents."

Remus shook his head, a cynical grin forming on his face. "Yeah, I suppose that is true," he murmured. He stared into her eyes intently, then shook his head. "I'm sorry you're having to deal with that," he said softly.

Chloe nodded, saying, "It's ok." She paused, then whispered, "Would you mind if I finished getting dressed now, Remus?"

Remus chuckled softly, then brushed his fingers over her left cheek delicately. "I suppose you may, but only if you really must," he teased.

Chloe laughed, then pushed against his chest with her hand. Remus allowed the shove to move him back a couple steps, then slowly backed out of the room, grinning mischievously, as she said, amused, "Oh, go to bed, Remus… or, well, the couch."

Remus reached the door as he said, "All right, all right. I'm downstairs if you need me, and please, feel free to need me." He winked at her, making her stifle what would have been a loud laugh so that she wouldn't disturb his parents, as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Chloe woke up, her head spinning. Everything felt hazy as she tried to move her arms and legs, but her limbs wouldn't budge. She opened her eyes and glanced around. Seeing that she was tied to a wooden post, standing on a pile of wood that smelled strongly of gasoline, Chloe screamed as what was happening dawned on her. After a few moments of terror, she saw her parents standing in front of the bonfire about to happen that Chloe was standing on. Behind the parents was her parents' house, out in the middle of nowhere. Chloe heard her parents laughing as she struggled. Looking around for her wand, she finally spotted the fir wand with a dragon heartstring core laying at her feet. Russell Honeycutt shouted at his daughter, "I shall now cleanse you from the demonic spirits that have taken over your body and mind, Chloe. You'll thank me when you see me again in heaven."

Chloe screamed as her father threw a match on the pyre and it burst into flames, the fire licking at her feet. "Mummy, Daddy, no! Please, let me go! I haven't done anything wrong! Please, Mummy, Daddy, let me go; help me!" She shrieked in pain. "You're hurting me. This will kill me; please, help me!" Chloe heard her parents' cackles, then felt something shaking her shoulders hard. She tried to move her arms to smack away whatever was shaking her, but her arms were tied down…

* * *

Chloe felt whatever was shaking her hard continue, and the sensation encouraged the panic attack growing in Chloe's chest. Finally realizing she could move again, she snapped open her eyes, sat up quickly, and slapped blindly at the air in front of her, making contact with something soft but muscular. It grabbed her wrist as she pulled back to hit it again. When her eyes finally focused, she saw Remus sitting on the bed beside her, concern shining in his eyes. She tried to steady her breathing, but it still came out ragged. Sweat drenching her skin, she shivered as she asked nervously, "What are you doing here, Remus?"

Remus frowned at her, looking worried. "I could hear you muttering in your sleep from downstairs. I came up to check on you, but when I saw you all sweaty and tossing and turning and saying things like 'no, please, don't hurt me, Daddy,' I got worried and started trying to wake you up." Chloe looked down at her hands in her lap as he spoke, shame causing tears to build in her eyes. Furrowing his brow as he saw her tears, he wrapped her up in a tight hug and pulled her into his lap. Remus held the back of her head gently in one hand, pressing his lips to the top of her blonde head, though not truly kissing her. "Please, don't cry," he murmured softly against her hair. "It was just a nightmare. Everything's going to be ok, Chloe; I promise."

Chloe took a deep, steadying breath against Remus's chest, brushing the tears rolling down her cheeks away with her hand. "I'm sorry," she croaked.

Remus pulled away from her head to look down at her properly. "What on earth are you sorry for?"

Chloe shook her head. "Everything, I suppose," she said through the tears. "For crying, for waking you up, for waking your parents with my talking in my sleep, for intruding on your lives at all and taking over your room, for… for being a witch at all in the first place."

Remus shushed her gently. "No, no, no, please, don't be sorry for any of that. It's not your fault. You have every right to cry right now; I'm just a man who, like every other male on the planet, doesn't know what the hell to do with a crying woman. I wasn't asleep in the first place anyway; I was up already, so don't even worry about that. Plus, remember I've got that sensitive werewolf hearing thing going on right now, so don't even worry about my parents, they're dead asleep. Having you here is absolutely no problem. You're hardly intruding; we're more than happy to have you here. As for being sorry you're a witch at all, that is the last thing you should ever feel. Your magic is a gift. You're an incredibly talented witch, and you've always done the right thing. You've never misused your magic. Don't let some bigoted, ignorant jackass tell you that you aren't a good person because you're a witch, because it's nowhere near true. You're a beautiful, kind, loving person who would never hurt anyone. Please remember that."

Chloe nodded, leaning tiredly against Remus's chest. "I dreamed I was being burned at the stake by my parents," she whispered into his shirt, sounding exhausted.

Remus clutched the petite girl closer to him, laying his head on top of hers. "I'm sorry," he replied sincerely. They sat together in silence for a moment, before Remus asked anxiously, "Are you going to be ok going back to sleep?"

Chloe thought about the question, then shook her head. "Not really," she whispered.

Remus watched her for another moment, then asked, "Do you want me to stay up here with you until you fall back asleep?" Chloe nodded. Remus gently removed her from his lap, placing her back on the bed, where she slid the rest of the way back under the red and gold quilt. Remus crawled into the bed beside her, then Chloe snuggled up against his chest. Remus played with loose strands of her straight hair as he lulled her to sleep with a song she didn't recognize. She imagined it must be some sort of lullaby from the wizard world, because it certainly wasn't a Muggle one. Remus hadn't even finished the song once when Chloe drifted back into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**August 1977**

The next morning, Chloe woke up alone under Remus's red and gold quilt in his bed. She sat up slowly, pulling the quilt off her body slowly. Crawling out of the bed, she tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs; it was still early in the morning, so she didn't want to disturb anyone by making too much noise. It turned out that it didn't matter after all, as she was the last one to wake at seven in the morning. Remus spotted her from his place sitting on the couch as she reached the bottom of the staircase, smiled at her, and said cheerily, "Good morning, Chloe. Sleep well?"

Remus patted the seat beside him, and Chloe joined him on the couch, observing Hope cooking some sort of breakfast in the kitchen, and Lyall sat at the kitchen table, reading the Daily Prophet. Chloe answered Remus softly, "I slept much better the second time around." Turning her eyes to Remus, she noticed that he looked exceptionally tired. "Did you ever get any sleep?"

Remus shrugged. "A couple hours," he said. "Don't worry, though. That doesn't have anything to do with you. That's pretty normal for me this time of the month; the full moon is tomorrow night."

Chloe nodded slowly. She asked another question. "What's everyone doing up so early? My parents are never out of bed before nine if they don't have to be."

Remus smiled and said, "Dad works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic. He's an expert on Non-Human Spirituous Apparitions, like boggarts. So he goes in to work by eight, so Mum gets up and makes everybody breakfast around this time every day, then when Dad leaves, she goes to work wherever she can in the Muggle world. Right now, she's a waitress at one of the restaurants across town."

Chloe nodded as Hope called over, "All right, kiddos, breakfast is ready." Chloe and Remus joined his parents at the table, and Chloe found herself eating a full breakfast, the best she had ever had in her life outside of Hogwarts, and in its own way, even bettered the food at Hogwarts. When all the food was gone, Hope announced, "Well, we'll see you kids tonight after work. Have some fun while we're gone; go outside and do something. Maybe you can take Chloe out on that flying broom of yours in the backyard or something."

Remus smiled, looking down as he shook his head, clearly trying not to laugh. "We can't go flying in a Muggle neighborhood, Mum," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah," Hope said thoughtfully, making Chloe bite her lip to keep herself from laughing. "Well, maybe you two can go visit one of those friends of yours that doesn't live in a Muggle neighborhood, like James. He lives in a wizard town, doesn't he?"

Remus said with a laugh, "Well, sort of. Close enough. The Muggles won't get tipped off to the existence of magic out at his house, anyway."

Lyall shook his head, wearing a smile that Chloe noticed was exceptionally similar to Remus's. "Come on, now, Hope," Lyall said merrily. "Let's leave the two to their own devices and head to work. If you don't leave now, you'll be late, you know." He winked at the two Hogwarts students. "But visiting James isn't a bad idea either."

Remus seemed to pick up on a subtle hint from his father and nodded. "All right. See you for dinner tonight." Hope grabbed the car keys and headed out to the car sitting in the driveway. Lyall grinned at the two kids from where he had watched his wife leave through the window, then disapparated to his own job. Remus took the dirty dishes over to the kitchen and began washing dishes the Muggle way. Chloe hesitated, then joined him at the kitchen sink, drying off dishes as he handed them to her, then stacking them on the counter, unsure of where to put them. When they had finished, Remus turned to her, leaning against the kitchen sink, and asked, "So, how does James's house sound? I hear Sirius is living there this summer too."

Chloe smiled at Remus. "I take this as a hint that your parents don't particularly care for the idea of leaving you alone at home with a girl in the house."

Remus laughed softly. "You've hit the nail right on the head."

Chloe smiled even more as he laughed. "Ok, sure. James's house sounds great. I'll just have to change clothes and then…" Chloe trailed off, and her smile faltered. She quickly stared down at her bare feet on the hardwood floor.

Remus furrowed his brow as he watched the sudden change in her demeanor. "What's wrong?" he asked, brushing the back of his fingers against her cheek.

Chloe shied away from his touch as he accidentally put pressure on a bruise that had developed on the lower half of that side of her face during the night. "All of my clothes are still over at my parents' house. Along with the rest of my stuff," she said anxiously.

Remus watched her for another moment, then took her by the hand and led her up the stairs. He pulled her into his bedroom, then ordered, "Get dressed in what you were wearing last night, Chloe."

Chloe picked up her jeans and shirt off the floor from where she left them the night before. She watched Remus nervously. "What are you going to do?"

Remus pulled a fresh t-shirt and blue jeans out of one of his dresser drawers, then pulled off the shirt he was wearing. "I'm taking you over to your parents' house," he said tensely. Chloe jumped slightly at his words, but before she could question it, Remus continued, "I'm of age; I can actually do magic outside of school without threat of expulsion. I'm going over there with you, and we're going to take your stuff back."

Chloe stared at the bare, but scarred, toned muscles of Remus's shoulders, chest, and stomach, as he pulled off his pajama pants without even turning away from her. She blushed furiously as she said softly, "Thank you, Remus, but are you sure you really want to do this?"

Remus turned his gaze on her, and Chloe turned even brighter red and could feel the room heating up as the man standing in nothing but a pair of boxers stared intensely at her. Chloe's heart raced as she shifted her weight nervously. Remus suddenly burst out laughing. "Yes, I'm sure I want to do this," Remus insisted. After pulling on his pants, he crossed the room over to her and wrapped his arms around Chloe, squeezing her tightly. Remus whispered in her ear, "Sorry for making you so nervous."

Chloe shook her head, saying, "Don't worry about it."

Remus chuckled softly, then said, "I have to admit though; it's ridiculously cute how much your heart races when I take off my shirt. And that blush of yours…" he trailed off as Chloe looked down at his chest, the only thing she could look down at as he hovered so close to her, his arms still wrapped around her. Chloe could feel his arms and chest vibrate as he laughed at her embarrassment. "Anyway, hurry up and dress. The sooner we go over to your parents house and get your stuff back, the sooner we can go do something a lot more fun at James's house, ok?"

Chloe nodded slowly as Remus released her from his embrace, then threw on the clean pale yellow shirt, leaving her alone to change clothes. She threw on her dirty clothes, leaving the clothes she'd slept in on the bed. Meeting Remus in the living room downstairs, she found her shoes and put them on. The two started out into the road, Remus leading Chloe by the hand. When they reached the front walk of Chloe's house, Chloe stopped moving, fear gripping her heart. She shook her head hard, then tried to pull Remus in the opposite direction, without having any real effect. Remus turned back to look at Chloe. "What's up?" Remus asked, frowning.

Chloe shook her head. "This is a mistake. My parents are going to be so angry; they'll never let me get away with this, and they'll hate you and try to hurt you or something."

Remus sighed. "Chloe, you have to do this. We're not just after your clothes. We're after all of your schoolbooks, your parchment, your quills, your trunk, whatever else you need for when September 1 rolls around." He stepped over to her, and gently rested a hand on her right shoulder. "You need to do this, Chloe. If for no other reason than to set yourself free from the ridiculous amount of power these people have over you, you have to do this. Whatever the reason, you have to let yourself be free from all this mess that they've put you through. They've even made you feel guilty just for being yourself, for having your incredible talents. You can't let them make you feel like this anymore. Let yourself be free, Chloe."

A screen door slammed shut behind Remus, and Chloe jumped at the sound. Remus turned around, allowing Chloe to see that Russell Honeycutt had walked out onto the porch. Russell demanded angrily, "What do you think you two are doing here?"

Remus squeezed Chloe's hand, trying to encourage her, as he said as politely as he could, "Mr. Honeycutt, Chloe would like to be allowed to retrieve her things from her room before she leaves your home for good."

Russell seemed to be caught off guard by that answer, but then his face grew hard. "Absolutely not," he snapped. "I paid for all of her things, and if she wants them back, she'll have to burn her wand and move back home and behave herself like everyone else."

Remus walked up to Russell, towering over the short man, pointing his wand at the man and pulling Chloe gently by her hand behind him. "Ok, let's try this without all the niceties then," Remus said coldly. "Chloe is going inside, and when she leaves, she will be taking everything she owns with her. After that, she will not be coming back unless she wants to for some reason. At no point is she to be harmed. If you or your wife so much as threaten her, I will personally make sure that you regret that mistake, even if it means turning you into a tea kettle and your wife into a tea cup. Now, do we understand each other?"

Russell seemed to hesitate, but the wand pointed at his chest made him fearful enough to comply. Remus nodded to Chloe, who ran inside and packed up her things as fast as she could. When she had finished packing her trunk, Remus shrunk it down to a size that could fit in her pocket, then quickly led her back out the front door. Standing on the front sidewalk, Chloe stopped suddenly and turned around, facing Russell and Wendy where they stood on the front step. "Mum, Dad, I… I'm sorry," she said sadly.

Wendy and Russell remained silent, glaring at their daughter. Remus tugged gently at her elbow. "Come on; let's go," Remus whispered.

Chloe nodded and allowed Remus to lead her away and down the street back to his house. Once inside the Lupin residence, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief, then collapsed onto the couch, her wired nerves still causing her to shake. "Thank you," she said, barely audible, knowing that Remus would hear her anyway.

He sat down on the couch beside Chloe and gave the girl a hug. "You're welcome," he replied. Remus patted her on the back. "It'll get easier as the days pass." Chloe nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Now I need you to get up though. Go change clothes, ok? Something comfortable. I never fail to come home covered in mud or dirt or some kind of sticky goo whenever I go to James's house." Chloe nodded, then ran up the stairs and changed into a purple t-shirt and fresh jeans, then hurried back down the stairs to where Remus waited. When she got downstairs, Remus asked, "Do you mind if we do side-along apparition to get you there? I promise it's better than going by Floo."

Chloe smiled and shook her head. "Remus, I took the apparition classes at school last year too, you know. I don't mind doing a side-along as long as you don't go and splinch me," she teased lightly.

Remus chuckled. "Ok, I can at least promise that. No splinching." He offered her his arm, which she took, and disapparated. The pair reappeared on the front steps of a large house situated just meters off a rocky beach. Seeing Chloe staring at the ocean, Remus leaned down and whispered in her ear, "James lives on the Isle of Wight, in Steephill Cove." Remus banged on the door loudly and, after a few minutes waiting for an answer, shouted, "Prongs! Padfoot! You bloody blighters, I know you're here; answer the door!"

Another minute later, a sleepy-looking Sirius Black opened the door mid-yawn. His black, wavy hair was an absolute mess, and he was only wearing a pair of dark gray boxers. "Geez, Moony, you don't need to shout," Sirius mumbled as he leaned against the door frame. Gray eyes suddenly landing on Chloe, a mischievous smirk spreading on his lips. "Well now, Remus! Who is this cute little bird you've brought us?" Sirius said with a flirtatious wink, making Chloe blush.

Remus rolled his eyes at his friend as he said, "Knock it off, Sirius. Chloe, I'm sure you've met this prat before, but his name is Sirius Black in case you didn't already know. Sirius, I'm sure you've seen me hang out with her before. This is Chloe Honeycutt, the Hufflepuff you usually see me studying with in the library?"

Sirius gave Remus a knowing grin. "Oh yes, I think I do remember your little Hufflepuff friend." Taking Chloe's hand in his rather suddenly, Sirius bowed with as much flourish as a man could in his underwear, and kissed her hand. "Je enchanté de vous rencontrer, belle dame," Sirius said coyly, a sexy smirk gracing his lips.

Chloe blushed as she gently pulled her hand from Sirius's, cowering towards Remus, trying to be subtle about it, but ultimately failing. Remus noticed her moving away from Sirius towards him and laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side. Sirius burst out laughing too as Remus mocked, "Sirius grew up speaking English and French, bloody git. He likes to believe that if he says pretty things to every girl he meets in French, they'll instantly fall in love with him."

Sirius pointed at Remus as he tried and failed to be serious and stop laughing. "Hey, it usually works too, mate. Just because you found one shy girl who doesn't fall for the French doesn't mean the rest won't."

Chloe glanced between the two men as they joked and asked, "What did it mean, anyway?"

Sirius grinned at Chloe as he said, "It means, 'I'm enchanted to meet you, beautiful lady.'"

Chloe blushed again when Sirius translated the phrase. Remus rubbed her arm and said, "All right, now, Sirius. Stop embarrassing the poor girl and let us inside. Where's Prongs?"

Sirius barked out a laugh. "Where do you think?" Sirius asked as he pushed off the door frame and walked back into the house, Remus and Chloe close behind him. Chloe jumped slightly when she heard the door close behind them, not seeing Remus or Sirius close the door. "He's still up in bed. It's only ten in the morning, Moony."

Chloe continued to glance around the large, open living room and kitchen as she asked, "Where are James's parents?"

Sirius shrugged. "France… Or did James say it was Portugal? I'm not sure, and I don't think he was either. Anyway, they aren't going to be back till the day before we leave for Hogwarts, so it's just us for the rest of the summer. Now, down to business," Sirius said as he flopped onto the couch, motioning for Chloe to join him as he stretched across the length of the couch. Chloe hesitated, but after an encouraging smile and gentle push on the back from Remus, walked over to the couch. Sirius reached up and took an easy, but confidant, hold on her wrists, pulling her closer until he suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist on lifted her off the floor, laying her on the couch on top of him, the surprising action making Chloe squeak and Remus laugh. "What is this sweet, naïve young thing doing here with you?" Sirius asked. "I mean, we've been expecting you along any day now, Moony, but we had no idea you'd be bringing along such a pretty girl along with you."

Chloe was laying on his bare chest, her arms curled up under her, using them to prop herself up a little so that her face wasn't against his bare skin, but only gaining a couple inches of space by doing so. She looked up at his stormy gray eyes, and her stomach flipped at the seductive look in his eyes as he stared back at her. Remus, shaking his head as he sat down in an armchair across from them, chided, "Padfoot, play nice with the new girl."

Sirius smirked, but his eyes never left Chloe. "Oh, I can play very nice," he said breathily. Chloe shivered as she felt Sirius's fingers ghost over her spine through her shirt. She searched desperately for somewhere to look at other than Sirius's face; her cheeks felt as though they were on fire.

Remus, who must have heard Chloe's heart pounding furiously in her chest, leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Sirius, I mean it," he said in a low, growling voice. "Back off."

Sirius stopped moving, seeming to recognize something in Remus that Chloe had never seen before. He tore his gaze from Chloe and glanced over at Remus, a frown suddenly appearing on his face. "Remus, she's fine," Sirius said cautiously. "Relax, mate."

Remus shook his head. Chloe heard loud stomps on the stairs, and looked up to see James Potter walking down the stairs groggily in a pair of pajama pants. "What's all the hullabaloo?" James said as he yawned, reaching the bottom of the staircase.

Sirius grinned at James. "Moony finally showed up, and he brought a friend along."

James seemed to notice Remus and Chloe for the first time. "Oh, hey, Moony. Who's the chick?" James said, seeming still half-asleep.

Remus answered, more harshly than usual as he was still annoyed with Sirius, "Chloe Honeycutt, Hufflepuff, study partner, neighbor, now the girl in my bed every night." That seemed to wake James up more and solicited cat calls from Sirius. Remus waved his hand at them as the teasing began, more irritated than before, then insisted, "No, no, no. By herself. She's in my room, and I'm downstairs on the couch."

James chuckled and said, "Well, that's good news, because she looks awfully chummy over there with Sirius."

Chloe blushed even more and squirmed slightly in Sirius's arms, uncomfortable. Remus, picking up on her nerves instantly, said tenderly, "Chloe, come here." Chloe pushed up from Sirius's chest with her forearms, and Sirius broke his hold around her waist so she could scramble off him. Sirius looked a little surprised to see how quickly she ran over to where Remus sat, allowing Remus to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her down to sit on his lap. Chloe curled up in his lap, her head resting on his shoulder and her hands clinging tightly to the front of his shirt. Remus shushed her gently, then whispered in her ear, "May I tell them what's going on?" Chloe flinched slightly as memories of the past twelve hours flooded her mind, then nodded. Remus took a deep breath, then said, "Guys, try to be easy with Chloe. Last night, she ran away from home and came to me and my parents for help. Remember how Sirius's parents always treats him?" James and Sirius nodded. Sirius sat up quickly, suddenly looking very solemn. "Well, Chloe's parents are sort of the Muggle version of that, I guess. I don't know; I don't really know the details all that well. Her parents hate her for being a witch, though. They think her magic makes her evil. Last night, they were going to destroy her wand and keep her from ever going back to Hogwarts or the wizarding world; they even threatened to kill her. Luckily, my family moved down the street from her a couple months ago, so she had somewhere to run to when she managed to get out of the house." Sirius glared down at the floor, staring at nothing in particular. James ran a hand through his already messy dark hair, taking a deep breath and letting it out. Remus paused, then continued, "She also found out last night that I'm a werewolf." Remus stared Sirius down, whose eyes snapped up to meet the lycanthrope's. "Sirius, when I say play nice, I mean it. Your best behavior. She's still really anxious and trying to get used to just being out of her parents' house outside of school."

Sirius nodded slowly, a slightly haunted look in his eyes. James sat down in the arm chair on the other side of the room from Remus and Chloe, then said, "Well, Chloe, it looks like we've got some work to do. The three of us are going to show you what it's like to really grow up with magic. By the end of the day, you'll be more sure than ever how wrong your parents are about magic. How about we start with flying? Sirius, where'd you leave our broomsticks last night?"

"Hall closet," Sirius mumbled as he continued to stare at Chloe, the unidentifiable look in his eyes making Chloe fidget in Remus's lap as the panic attack continued to eat away at the edges of her mind.

James called from the hallway, "Hey, Remus, come help me pick the best broom for Chloe."

Remus vacillated between staying and going, then stood up, compelling Chloe to stand on her own two feet. He gently disentangled his shirt from Chloe's hands, then wiped at the one or two stray tears that had escaped from her eyes with his thumb. Remus smiled at her, and Chloe forced herself to smile back. As Remus walked out of the room to help James, Sirius said quietly, "Chloe, it'll all be ok."

Furrowing her brow as she turned around to look at the pureblood wizard, Chloe said, "What?"

Sirius shrugged. "This whole thing with your family. Staying with Remus, hanging out with us. I promise, it'll all be ok. You've got Remus to rely on. He's an amazing bloke, and he'll never let anything happen to you. I ran away from home myself back in June, came and stayed here with the Potters for the rest of the summer. I know it all hurts like hell right now, but I promise, with friends like Remus and James, and maybe even me, it will all turn out great. These guys make a far better family than one connected by blood anyway."

Chloe nodded and said mellifluously, "Thank you, Sirius."

James rushed back into the room, holding two broomsticks. Remus trailed behind his bespectacled friend, carrying two more brooms. "All right; let's do this!" James shouted, darting out the front door of the house down to the beach.

Sirius shook his head at his best friend, then took off after him, calling out, "Wait up, Prongs!"

Chloe walked out the door with Remus, and asked as they followed the other two out onto the beach, "What's with the nicknames? I mean, yours I get, because of the whole werewolf thing, but Prongs? Padfoot? What kind of nicknames are those?"

Remus laughed, and his laughter made Chloe smile, genuinely this time. "You'll have to ask them," Remus said with a chuckle. "I'm sure Peter will have a blast explaining why he's called 'Wormtail' to you if he shows up today. But those are their secrets, so they'll have to share them with you whenever they decide to do so."

Chloe nodded as James yelled at her over the sounds of the crashing waves. "Chloe! Get out here; we're going to play a little Quidditch!"

Chloe stopped dead in her tracks, accidentally making Remus bump into her. "Oh, sorry," she mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, concerned.

Chloe shrugged. "I've not flown since we were first years. I can't even remember how anymore, let alone play Quidditch with you guys."

Remus smiled, letting his head fall forward, his chin against his chest. Looking back up, he shouted, "James, try teaching her how to actually fly a broom first, hey, mate?"

James, who was already up in the air, swept down through the air and landed in front of them as they reached where Sirius stood on the beach. "Of course!" James said with a laugh. "How stupid of me. Come on, Chloe. Take that Cleansweep from Remus." Chloe hesitantly accepted the broom Remus offered her. James took her hand and tugged her a few meters away from the other two Gryffindors. "Ok, now throw your leg over the broom and settle down on it." Chloe slowly did as she was told, taking slow deep breaths to try to calm her nerves. "Here, hold your hands on the broom like this." James leaned over her, reaching his arms around her, placing his hands on hers, adjusting her grip on the broom. James leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, "Just relax. Flying is one of the most fun, freeing things a witch or wizard can ever do. You'll love it. If you don't relax, though, you'll never get off the ground, ok?"

Chloe nodded and replied, "Ok."

James smiled, letting go of her hands and backing away. "Ok, now it gets really simple. Just kick off from the ground to go up. Pull up on the broom to slow down, lean it forward to go faster. Point it in the direction you want to go to make it go, and level it to hover. It's pretty simple." James settled on to his own broom, then kicked off the ground and hovered a couple meters in the air above her. "What are you waiting for?" he teased. "Get up here!"

Chloe glanced over at Remus and Sirius, both of whom were smiling at her encouragingly. Taking another deep, steadying breath, she pushed against the ground with her feet. The broom under her shot into the air, several meters higher than James hovered, making Chloe scream as she flew into the air. Finally managing to make her broom hover, Chloe sat on a broomstick in the middle of the air, her muscles aching they were so tense. James shot up into the air beside her, laughing. Chloe stuttered, "I – I'm not so sure a – about this, James."

James chuckled softly. "It's ok. You're perfectly safe up here."

Remus shot up into the air on the other side of Chloe, grinning at her. "Everything good?" he asked.

James answered with a merry lilt in his voice, "She's a natural! Just afraid to get off the ground."

Sirius flew up in front of the other three. "You look wonderful on that broomstick, Chloe," he flirted.

"Ignore Sirius, he's just a git," James said, making Sirius laugh loudly. "You're doing beautifully, Chloe."

Chloe shook her head. "I don't like being up so high," she mumbled.

Remus was the only one to hear what she said over the wind and the waves. He reached out and placed his hand overtop of hers. Chloe's eyes never left their hands as he said, "Really, Chloe. You're doing fantastic. You're perfectly safe up this high. You'll get used to the height soon, I promise." Chloe nodded slowly, still staring at their hands. Remus pulled his hand away, then flew about five meters away to Chloe's right. He called over to her, "Fly over here to me."

Chloe stayed frozen in terror. Shaking her head, she said, "I don't think I can, Remus."

Remus said reassuringly, "You can do this, Chloe; I know you can."

Chloe said anxiously, "I – I think I'll fall off if I try to move."

The boys around her laughed. Remus answered, "No, you won't; I promise. Even if you do, one of us will catch you. James and Sirius will fly over here alongside you to make sure you stay safe, ok?" Chloe nodded, but she didn't move. After a moment, Remus said, "Ok, Chloe. Come on now. Pull your broom handle to the right so you're facing me, then lean forward to move towards me."

Chloe slowly turned her broom in Remus's direction, then tried to slowly move forward toward him. Instead, she accidentally zoomed forward too fast and nearly crashed into the werewolf. She felt hands from three different directions on various parts of her body steadying her on her broom. As she began to feel safely seated on her broomstick again, Chloe chanced a glance up, searching for the owner of the hand closest to her bottom. She found herself staring into Sirius's sultry gray eyes again. The seductive grin he wore sent chills down her spine. "You all right?" Sirius asked with a wink that made Chloe blush. Chloe nodded at Sirius.

The rest of the day was spent on flying lessons for Chloe. When they finally landed back on the ground and went back into the house, Remus immediately made his way into the kitchen and began making an Irish stew. Chloe sat on the stool at the bar that divided the kitchen and the living room, watching Remus move about the kitchen. Sirius plopped into the bar chair beside her, smiling when she turned to look at him. Remus snapped his fingers, turning around from the stove and saying loudly, "James! I almost forgot. Could you send an owl to my parents? Let them know that Chloe and I won't be home for dinner after all."

James nodded, then ran upstairs to send off the note. Sirius trailed his fingertips across the back of Chloe's hand. She jumped at the unexpected contact, then allowed herself to relax a little and smile. Her nerves had calmed considerably once she'd truly gotten control of her broom, but throughout the entire day the anxiety she felt had never truly gone away, but merely been pushed back to the edges of her mind. She had a feeling that if Remus had compared her parents to Sirius's, then he must have some idea of what she was feeling, so she was determined to trust him. Sirius asked quietly, "So what are you going to do tomorrow night?"

Chloe raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"He means the full moon," Remus murmured. "He means where are you going to go while I turn tomorrow night under the full moon."

Chloe thought to herself for a moment, then answered truthfully, "Honestly, I have no idea."

Sirius smiled at her, then took her hand and squeezed it. "You should come stay here. Remus's dad is taking care of him tomorrow night, so James and I won't be allowed to be there to help like we do at school, so you could always come stay here with the two of us."

After considering the idea, Chloe answered, "Ok, I suppose that'll work out fine, if it's ok with…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Never mind, forget that. Yes, I'll do that, but you or James are going to have to pick me up and apparate me over here. I'm not seventeen until September 1."

Sirius nodded, smiling widely. "Excellent!" he declared loudly, then hugged Chloe tightly, startling her. Remus shook his head as he watched, grinning. "This'll be brilliant," Sirius said.


	3. Chapter 3

**August 1977**

The next day, Chloe found herself packing her things to spend the night at the Potter's beach house. Remus and Chloe spent the day there with James and Sirius, playing Exploding Snaps, flying brooms out on the beach, and watching television. Chloe nearly died laughing at James and Sirius's fascination with the "box with the moving pictures that can talk." Apparently, the two purebloods couldn't believe that the pictures could talk to each other, but couldn't talk to anybody outside of the box. After the group had returned from a delicious dinner at a pub in the closest Muggle village, they returned to the house. As the other three continued into the house, Remus stopped in the hallway, digging into the closet for his jacket. Chloe, noticing that Remus had disappeared, went back to wear he stood, pulling the black jacket out of the closet. "Where are you going?" Chloe asked softly.

Remus sighed, then reluctantly answered, "It's 7:30; the sun will be down soon. I need to be locked away before the full moon comes out, Chloe, remember?"

Chloe looked down at the floor, feeling sad for the pain this was causing him. "Oh, right… I'm sorry, Remus."

Remus smiled gloomily at Chloe, brushing the back of his fingers against her cheek. "It'll all be ok, little buttercup. I promise. I've done this every month since I was four; I'll be ok."

Chloe shifted her weight nervously, wrapping her right hand around her left elbow and squeezing it nervously. "Yeah, I guess so." She paused for a few moments, and Remus stood quietly, watching her, knowing she had something else that she wanted to say but felt too uneasy to say it. Finally, she said anxiously, "I – I'm just not so sure about staying here without you. I – I'll miss you."

Remus couldn't help the amused smile that spread on his lips at her words as Chloe looked around at the ground restlessly. Remus put his arms around her and held her tightly to his chest. "I'll miss you too," he whispered in her ear. "Here." He handed her the jacket he had just pulled out of the closet. "It's not raining anymore so I won't need it. You can put it on when you feel nervous. There's nothing to be nervous about though; you know James and Sirius now. I'm sure you won't even notice I'm gone."

Chloe snorted slightly as she laughed. "I doubt that," she said with a grin. "But I'll try," she added.

Remus hugged her again. "Good," he said with a grin. "Sirius!" Remus called, releasing Chloe.

Sirius sauntered down the hall to them, a smirk on his face. "Yes?" Sirius drawled.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Try not to let things get out of hand tonight. I'm heading out. Tell James I said bye, and try to be gentle with Chloe."

Sirius slipped up behind Chloe, snaking his arms around her waist from behind and nuzzling her neck with his nose, ever so slightly ghosting his lips over the crook of her neck. Chloe jumped at the sensation, letting out a tiny yelp. Sirius help onto her tightly to keep her from running away. "Maybe she doesn't like it gentle, Moony," Sirius said with a wink. After a glare from Remus, Sirius stood up a little straighter, lifting his head from her shoulder. "All right, all right, relax. I'm only teasing. She'll come back to you tomorrow in the same condition that you left her here, if not better. Go on, or the moon's going to sneak up on you before you're ready."

Remus continued to glare at Sirius for a moment, then Chloe said quietly, "He's right, Remus. You don't have a lot of time. I'll see you tomorrow."

Remus's face softened as she spoke. "All right," he muttered. "See you tomorrow."

Remus turned and walked out the front door, then disapparated on the front step. Chloe sighed, then started, surprised, when Sirius suddenly placed a kiss on her cheek. "Don't you worry about a thing. Everything will be all right. Come on back into the living room, I know the perfect remedy for your nerves." Taking Chloe by the hand, Sirius led her into the living room, where James waited patiently in one of the armchairs. "Prongs!" Sirius said loudly, the sudden noise making Chloe flinch. "Let's liven this place up, shall we? We need firewhiskey!"

Chloe looked timid at the mention of the alcoholic beverage. "Oh, I don't know, Sirius, I've never…"

Stopping her mid-excuse, Sirius interrupted, "Don't worry about what you've never done before, just focus on what you're doing now. And right now, we're going to loosen up all that tension in you with a few drinks." Waving his wand, James summoned three bottles of firewhiskey and three glasses to pour the alcohol into for them to drink. Chloe watched this objects fly across the room, scratching at her chin anxiously. Sirius rubbed her back gently. "Hey, it'll be fine, really."

Chloe nodded as Sirius nudged her towards the couch, the two sitting down side by side as James poured the drinks. Handing out the glasses, James said, "Here we are now." Raising his glass, James said, "To magic!"

Sirius laughed, echoing his best friend's toast. Chloe hesitated, then drank a few sips of the liquid. The drink burned her throat as she swallowed, and Chloe nearly choked on it as she began coughing. Sirius slapped her back a couple of times, then rubbed the back of her shoulder blade gently. Once Chloe was breathing properly again, she whispered, "That was nasty."

Sirius and James laughed softly. "You'll get used to it," James said with a grin. "Drink up."

Chloe shook her head as Sirius got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Come on, Chloe. Go pull for pull with me."

Staring at Sirius, confused, Chloe asked, "What does that mean?"

Sirius barked out a short laugh. "It means that when I take a drink, you take a drink, and you don't stop drinking until I stop." Chloe shivered, suddenly cold. Putting her drink down, she wrapped her arms around herself. "You ok?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

Remembering Remus's jacket where it lay beside her on the couch, Chloe grabbed the jacket and quickly put it on, the smell of Remus on the fabric relaxing her slightly. "I think so," Chloe mumbled.

James and Sirius watched her a moment longer, then James declared, "Ok, then all three of us, pull for pull. Who's ready?"

Chloe sighed, then asked, "I don't have a choice, do I?"

The two men laughed. "Nope!" Sirius declared, popping the 'p.'

* * *

Two hours later, Chloe was quite drunk, sitting on Sirius's lap on the couch, while James perched on the back of the armchair, whining about how a girl named Lily Evans would never say yes to a date with him. "I just don't understand," James complained. "I've never done anything to her; I'm always so nice to her and telling her how perfect she is. What reason could she possibly have for hating me?"

Sirius laughed softly, nuzzling the soft flesh of Chloe's neck with his nose and making her giggle. "James, do me a favor?"

James raised an eyebrow at his best friend. "What's that?"

Sirius looked at James and said loudly, "Shut up about Lily already! You're killing the mood here."

James stuck his tongue out at Sirius, making Chloe laugh. Suddenly, Sirius took Chloe's chin in his hand and turned her face to him, surprising her by pressing his lips to hers roughly. Though shocked, Chloe couldn't help the slight moan that escaped her throat as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She turned towards Sirius more, allowing him better access to her body. His hands roamed over her body, exploring every inch of her. When the kiss broke, Sirius didn't let her catch her breath before kissing, nipping, and licking along her jaw and down her neck. Chloe gasped at the sensation, tangling her fingers in Sirius's black hair and pulled him closer to her, making him growl with delight. James whined, "But I mean it, Sirius, what does Lily find so repulsive about me?"

Sirius sighed, pulling away from Chloe and disentangling her fingers from his hair. Chloe whined softly at the loss of contact, making Sirius smirk. "I don't know, Prongs," Sirius grumbled. "But just because you can't get Lily to get it on with you doesn't mean you have to spoil the mood for Chloe and I over here. I like to get laid too, you know."

With that, Sirius returned to snogging the daylights out of Chloe. She moaned softly, her fingers once again pulling at Sirius's hair as his hands wandered about her hips. James whimpered, "Ok, but I want to go out on the beach."

Sirius pulled away, leaning his forehead against Chloe's, then kissing her forehead before looking over at James. "Fine," Sirius consented with a sigh.

* * *

A few minutes later, Chloe found herself out on the beach with a half-drained bottle of firewhiskey in one hand, the other thrown out to balance herself as she attempted and failed to walk in a straight line. She threw her head back in laughter as James flapped around. Sirius grinned mischievously from behind Chloe. Suddenly, James stops at the edge of the water and spins around, nearly falling over as he did. "Hey," Sirius yelled at the other two. "I've got a brilliant idea. Who wants to go skinny dipping?"

James jumped into the air with a whoop, then instantly began stripping off his shirt and trousers. Chloe said slowly, "I don't know, Sirius…"

Sirius laughed, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her behind, then slowly ran his hands up to her shoulders and down her arms, taking hold around the bottle of firewhiskey in her hand. "Then you haven't had enough to drink," he said seductively in her ear.

Chloe giggled and threw back another large swallow of the alcohol as James pulled off his underwear and jumped into the water. James yelled back at his two friends. "See? I'm incredibly sexy! Why the hell won't Lily go on a date with me?"

Chloe and Sirius laughed loudly. Chloe collapsed against Sirius as they laughed, then shouted, "Maybe because you're an arrogant ass around her all the time who says things like, 'I'm incredibly sexy'? Just a thought."

Sirius nearly died laughing as James pouted from the water, then started pulling up the bottom of Chloe's shirt. "Now, come on," Sirius purred in Chloe's ear. "Let's go skinny dipping, yeah?"

Chloe nodded slowly, then Sirius pulled her shirt off. James whistled at her, making Chloe laugh. Before long, Sirius and Chloe were both naked and in the water with James. Sirius pulled Chloe up against him, and Chloe could feel him hard against her thigh in the chilly water. She gasped at the contact, making Sirius bark out a laugh. Chloe purred when Sirius touched her skin. Pulling him in for an intense, passionate kiss, Chloe asked him, "Maybe we should get inside, Sirius? It's awfully cold in this water."

Sirius grinned, then kissed his way down to where the water covered her skin at the waist. "Somewhere alone, perhaps?" Sirius asked mischievously, wagging his eyebrows at her.

Chloe nodded. As the two got out of the water, James shouted after them, "Hey, what about me?"

"Sleep in your parents bed tonight! Or on the couch," Sirius yelled back. "Just do something." Sirius led Chloe back into the house, up the stairs to James's room, and the two collapsed on to the bed, Sirius kissing every inch of Chloe's skin that he could reach. Chloe arched her back, pressing her body against his. Sirius paused his kisses, staring into Chloe's eyes. "May I?" Sirius asked, suddenly very solemn. Chloe nodded, and Sirius swooped down and started snogging her brains out once again.

* * *

When Chloe woke up the next morning, she was startled to discover she was laying in bed naked with an equally naked Sirius Black. Flushing, she pulled the blankets further over her body, trying to hide her nakedness. Out of the blue, she heard soft groan coming from Sirius. Glancing over at Sirius, Chloe saw a what looked like regret on his face. Feeling ashamed, Chloe jumped out of the bed, taking one of the blankets with her, wrapping it around herself as she ran out of the room to try to find her clothes. Downstairs in the living room, Chloe found James still passed out on the couch. Finding her overnight bag with Remus's jacket laying on top of it, she grabbed both, ran into the bathroom, and slammed the door. She heard Sirius knocking on the door as she dressed. "Chloe, open the door," Sirius said gently through the locked door.

Chloe answered with a harsh, "Go away, Sirius," as she pulled a shirt over her head. She quickly brushed her hair and washed her face in the sink. She looked awful after the night before, the bags under her eyes betraying how little sleep she got.

Sirius said, "Please, Chloe, open the door. Let me explain."

Chloe sighed, then, now fully dressed, opened the door to find Sirius standing there in the first pair of boxers he found in the floor. The shorts were a little too tight on him, making Chloe suspect they actually belonged to James. "There's nothing to explain, Sirius. It was all over your face. You regret having been with me last night."

Sirius sighed. "Yes, but not in the way that you think," he insisted.

Chloe replied in a low voice, "Well, I regret it too. I knew I shouldn't have gotten drunk last night, the way my parents always went on and on about how horrible alcohol is. I guess for once they were right about something. I should have never slept with you."

Sirius huffed in frustration as Chloe stormed out of the bathroom past him. He grabbed her elbow and spun her around. "No," Sirius said, raising his voice to her. The volume of his voice and the sudden pull on her arm made Chloe flinch. "Sleeping with you is not what I regret. I wish I hadn't taken advantage of you. You're such a sweet girl, but you were drunk and vulnerable and going through a really rough time. I, of all people, should have understood that getting drunk and having sex with me was not a good thing for you right now. I'm really, truly sorry for taking advantage of you last night."

Chloe didn't move; she simply cowered under his stare. There was a loud knock on the door, and Sirius let go of Chloe's elbow. Immediately, Chloe ran down the hallway and threw open the door to reveal Remus standing there. Chloe launched herself at Remus, throwing her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. Remus wrapped his arms around the girl, smiling. Remus's smile faded quickly though when he noticed the tears threatening to escape Chloe's eyes and Sirius watching forlornly from a few feet away. Remus frowned, growling at Sirius, "Sirius, what the bloody hell did you do to her?"

Sirius merely hung his head in shame. Chloe shook her head. "Remus, please, just take me home," she begged.

"Where's James?" Remus demanded angrily.

Sirius answered quietly, "Passed out on the couch."

Remus stepped inside the house, tugging Chloe gently along with him. "Why the hell is he passed out? Sirius, did you two get Chloe drunk last night?"

Sirius's eyes snapped up, and the fury in them made Chloe shiver against Remus's side. "We most certainly did not," Sirius snapped. "All three of us got smashed together. I won't deny that things between Chloe and I got carried away, or that I was wrong for taking advantage of the fact that she was drunk, but I most certainly did not plan for things to go the way they did."

Remus pulled Chloe's arms off his waist, Remus left her by the door and stalked over to Sirius. "Do you mean to tell me," Remus hissed. "That you bloody _slept_ with Chloe while you two were drunk?"

Sirius looked away from Remus, looking ashamed. The shame on Sirius's face put Chloe over the edge. She grabbed Remus's hand and yanked at it as hard as she could in the direction of the door. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pleaded, "Remus, please, just get me out of here." Remus stopped in his tracks, but he didn't turn back. Remus glared angrily at Sirius, his chest heaving and his hand fingering his wand as he seemed to contemplate cursing his best friend. Chloe pulled on his hand again, begging, more desperately this time, "Remus, please, take me home."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair, clearly mentally kicking himself at the sound of the tears in Chloe's voice. Finally, Remus turned back to Chloe, cupping her face in his hands and wiping her tears away. Remus asked, his voice hoarse, "Did Sirius hurt you?" Chloe shook her head. "You're sure?" Remus asked again. "Do you remember saying yes? Actually, verbally consenting to have sex with him?"

Sirius shouted, "Hey! I am a lot of things, Remus Lupin, but I am not a rapist!"

Chloe flinched at the yelling as Remus yelled back, "Oh, shut up, Sirius!"

Shaking her head, Chloe insisted, "Remus, he didn't rape me. I agreed to it; he asked me and I said yes. Remus, please, don't hurt him. Just get me away from here."

Finally, Remus nodded, and he walked with her back to the front door. As the two stepped outside, Sirius called after them, "Chloe, I meant what I said. I'm so sorry for hurting you and taking advantage of the situation, but I swear, I never meant to. Just please don't shut me out; I care about you."

Chloe hugged Remus tightly when they stopped walking during Sirius's speech. Remus shook his head, "Sirius, just shut up. I know you didn't mean to hurt her, but now's not the time."

Sirius nodded slowly, then Remus turned around on his heel and disapparated himself and Chloe back to his house. Now in the living room, Chloe sobbed as Remus sat down on the couch, pulling her down to sit in his lap. She curled up in a ball as he rocked her back and forth, shushing her. He mumbled soothingly in her ear, "It's ok, Chloe. It'll all be ok." When she had calmed down some, Remus asked, "What's wrong, buttercup?"

Chloe sniffed, wiping tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand, then whispered, "He hates me now. He regrets it; he wishes it'd never happened. He doesn't want me anymore…"

Chloe looked up at Remus's face for a moment, and saw that the werewolf was near tears himself. "Oh, Chloe," he groaned. "Sirius doesn't hate you, and he certainly still wants you. He regrets the way he went about things, not the act itself. Doesn't make it right, but it does make it a little better. Please, Chloe, don't cry because you feel unwanted. You are so incredibly wanted."

Chloe shook her head. She stumbled over the words between ragged breaths as she said, "My parents… they don't want me. Anymore. They hate me… for – for my magic. Th – They say I'm evil." She took a deep breath, trying unsuccessfully to steady herself. "Dad – Dad tries to beat the – the devil out of me."

Remus frowned, stroking her blonde hair. "Your parents are the ones who are evil," he said grimly, clutching the small girl more tightly to his chest. "Please, Chloe, believe me. James, my parents, and I — oh, hell, even Sirius — we all love so much, and we never want anything bad to ever happen to you again. It really is ok that you slept with Sirius if you want to go out with him. Sirius likes you enough I think he'd actually date you if you'd let him. Just… just don't let him use you, and don't you use him either. You've both been hurt, and I don't want to see either of you get hurt by anyone ever again." Chloe nodded slowly. Remus pulled Chloe's head closer to him and kissed her hair tenderly. "Chloe, things won't always be like this. The pain will go away; it will fade with time and distance. Please don't lose sight of that. You are so loved." When Chloe simply nodded again, Remus squeezed her, then asked, "Want me to make you some lunch? It's getting to be afternoon now, and I don't think you've had anything to eat yet today."

Chloe sighed, then answered, "I guess I am a little hungry." Remus nudged her to her feet, then stood up and walked into the kitchen, setting about making lunch for the two of them.


End file.
